


Ship of Theseus

by PrinceEve



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Brief mention of mild gore, Hurt/Comfort, I'll add more as I go along, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, in which i project onto lio for X chapters, no beta i dont have friends <3, until i get impatient and put the pedal to the metal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24409012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceEve/pseuds/PrinceEve
Summary: Stripped of the Promare, Lio needs to work through the newfound quiet in his mind. If silence is golden, why does it hurt so badly?
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	Ship of Theseus

**Author's Note:**

> well here we are i guess. can you tell ive never written a fic before 
> 
> basically i started writing this bc im tired of seeing freaky shit in this tag, so right out the gate im gonna let u know there will be no implied galo/kray anywhere in this fic! u are safe here 
> 
> i have no plans going in here and honestly? im JUST vibing over here but i hope you enjoy my thoughts on how lio would deal with not only losing the promare but also being... how do i put this politely... severely depressed and gay. also galo "i may be stupid" thymos is there
> 
> this first chapter is very short, sorry! im really just playing around and trying to get a grip on this whole thing, so please be patient while i work hard to make longer and more interesting chapters
> 
> please enjoy! follow me on twitter @MonsterGirlEve for more promare cringe content ♥♥

“You’re leaving?”

Floating in the endless nexus, Lio wasn’t even sure if he said it out loud. He extended his hand out, reaching towards the Promare that he felt leaving his body with every breath, trying desperately, and perhaps selfishly, to keep it close. They were cheering and singing and laughing, celebrating the explosive display power they were barred from for so long.

_We’re going home! We’re whole again!_

It was fair, Lio figured, but he couldn’t help but wonder; what about the Burnish? What about everything they’ve gone through? What about him? He was always prepared for every situation, with a plan and backup plan at the ready no matter what, but this... how could he prepare for this? The Promare were a huge part of his life, it was a relationship he cultivated and nurtured for over 2 decades, and in one night he learned they weren’t his to have and was watching them be torn from his body and soul. There was no time to plan for this and, in all honesty, even if there was, he wouldn’t be prepared to say goodbye.

The Promare could hear his thoughts, feel his anxiety, and let the flames lick at his hand and swirl around his fingers. _You should be happy,_ they sang in his ear. _You’re free now, as are we!_

“What will I do without you?”

_That’s not for us to decide!_

It was a surprising answer that left Lio with more questions. Before he could ask anything more, however, the small flame left in his hand began to chip away, sparks and chunks leaving to join their friends. _Lio, Lio!_ they chanted, a deafening cacophony of whistles and chimes, _we have to go now. You do too. Go, live!_

And with that, through his teeth, up his arm and past the chip in his fingernail, the warmth in his body escaped. The gathering in front of him, the Promare of all the people below, who he fought for, loved so dearly, perhaps never met or couldn’t save, was added to one final time. The nexus expanded further and further, threatening to burst before collapsing in on itself and exploding into a pink and blue supernova, the familiar heat washing over him once more before disappearing completely. 

They were gone, and it was quiet.

△△△

Back on the ground, Lio and Galo surveyed their surroundings. Despite everything that had happened, there was a bittersweet feeling that it was over. It was _over._ Galo shaded his eyes from the sun peeking up above the hills with his hand, heaving a sigh to punctuate the moment. 

“I guess we did it, huh?”

“I…” He didn’t know how to respond. Did they? Was it truly done?

Galo, ever emotionally perceptive, clapped a hand on Lio’s shoulder and gave him a friendly shake. “Well, whatever happens now can’t be any harder than that. But for now, time to get to work!” He cheered, but his energy quickly dropped when he turned around. Kray Foresight sat hunched over on some debris, dejected. His usual collected demeanor was now replaced by complete, unadulterated defeat. He’d given up, and Galo was so thankful for that. “I think, uhm… I think BR is over there, if you want to start-”

Lio followed his gaze and held up a hand to stop him. “Go ahead,” he urged, his feet moving without thinking, “I need to do something.”

“Lio, I don’t think you should.”

He was met with a frustrated glare, something he’d grown used to. “I’m not going to touch him. Go and start the rescues, I’ll be right there.”

Galo chewed at the inside of his cheek, unsure if this was the right decision but ultimately trusting Lio to keep his word as he jogged off, making an effort not to turn back. Once he was sufficiently far enough, Lio padded over to Kray and stood for a moment, thinking of how to say what he wanted. Kray knew he was there, undoubtedly heard him and saw his feet, and even if that weren’t the case he probably expected it, but he didn’t look up. He didn’t have the decency to look up at him.

“You could have done so much good,” Lio started, “but you decided you hated us more than you valued human lives. What happened, Kray? Why did it get this far?”

Kray kept his eyes trained on the dirt below, his elbows braced against his knees and hands clasped. There was no reaction from him, no indication that he was sorry for what he did.

“Answer me.”

Nothing.

Lio squatted down in front of him, cocking his head to stare at his face. “The Promare are gone. I watched them go back. You won’t have anything to get you out of this. You’re just a man now.” He kept his sentences clipped to keep himself from saying something stupid. They sat for a moment, and for the first time Lio was able to look at Foresight without feeling threatened. He couldn’t do anything now. He couldn’t do anything if Lio took some debris and crushed his head in. No one would mourn. No one would cry.

“Lio!” He heard in the distance, figuring it was Galo. “Lio, they got some guys who want to see you!”

Lio stood up, looming over Kray. He wasn’t worth it anymore. “I hope you rot, Foresight,” he spat, turning on his heel and following the voice. Burning Rescue lights flashed behind a wall of concrete, shouting and commotion ringing out. The Parnassus was behind it, the deck perched high in the air, where thousands of his people were being unloaded. Nevertheless, he walked with purpose, his head held high and shoulders squared, bracing himself for what was next. 

He passed behind the concrete wall where the Parnassus laid to see Galo waving wildly, jumping up and down in an exuberant show to get his attention. It wasn’t him he was watching though, it was the staggering form of two familiar people that made him lose all composure and break into a sprint. Meis and Gueira. They were alive. He ran fast enough for his lungs to start searing, carried exclusively on through adrenaline. Knowing them, they refused to be strapped down to a gurney, electing to walk out on their own two feet, which made a sense of pride and relief bubble up in his chest. They must have been exhausted, traumatized, confused, but once he drew close they opened their arms and braced for impact. Lio plowed into them, toppling them over into the dirt and burying his face between them. 

“Oh, God!” he wailed, sobbing into their shoulders. “Oh, thank God, you’re alive!”

Rarely would he allow himself to be so emotional, even with his generals, but it eased his heart to be able to let it out. He’d been through so much, seen so much pain, and his body couldn’t hold that suffering alone anymore. He clutched at their clothes, their hair, anything to ground their existence in his life, and cried. It wasn’t the neat and pretty crying you see in movies, it was raw and visceral and left him gasping for air, the kind he only allowed if he was sitting alone on watch with nothing but his thoughts. “I saw you,” he managed between choked breaths. “I heard you in there when he turned the engine on. I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, it was my fault.”

“Boss,” it was Meis who spoke first, and judging by the loud whining in his other ear it was because the other simply couldn’t. “It’s over, it’s done. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

The words knocked into Lio like a load of bricks, but he still wasn’t sure if he believed it. “I have to-” he coughed the lump out of his throat and sat back, wiping at his face to remove any evidence. “I have to go help. I need you two to cooperate with these people to make sure you aren’t hurt. The Promare- the flames are gone, your bodies are more vulnerable now.” He saw Gueira make a stumped expression, sniffing hard and opening his mouth to protest until Lio cut back in. “I’ll tell you everything when I can, but I have a job to do right now.”

Lio rose to his feet and pulled his generals up as well, finding himself reluctant to give the reins over to the officials. “Over there, now. It’ll be safe. I’ll come find you when I can.” And with a final hug and promise of return, Meis and Gueira limped away into the swarm of paramedics to be ushered off to… somewhere.

“That was really sweet.”

Lio turned his head to find Galo cheesing hard, who presumably watched the scene unfold. He squinted slightly, unamused by the expression, and furiously scrubbed his face to dry any lingering wetness. “Do you mind? Don’t you have something to be doing right now?”

They began walking in tandem towards the Parnassus, where a hole had been cut out for rescuers to enter. “I ‘unno why you’re being weird about it,” Galo said. “Crying rocks. I cry all the time!”

“I don’t know what you think you saw, but it wasn’t that.”

“Pff, yeah ri- whoa!” Pulling up to the entrance of the Parnassus, Galo grabbed Lio’s arm to stop him. “Uh, maybe instead of doing this, you could, uhm… you should probably go… do… uh-”

“Thymos, you are many things, but well spoken is not one of them,” Lio huffed, pulling his arm away and lifting himself over the metal lip to enter the Parnassus’ hull. 

It was like stepping into a nightmare.

Plastered against the wall were the pods, some still rotating slowly. From outside, it was impossible to see what was in there. The hole they’d cut out could only allow a few people entry at a time, and the only light source was whatever made its way through the hole and the flashlights from whoever was in there before them. Looking around, Lio could see bodies that he assumed were turning to ash while the Promare left, leaving them only partially decayed. It reeked of flesh and death, enough to make Lio clap a hand over his face to keep it out. The worst part seemed to be how quiet it was, though. It was quiet as a grave, with creaking metal and the muffled sounds outside the ship serving only as an ambient background noise. 

He jumped out of his skin when he heard a ‘clunk’ behind him, whipping around so fast he nearly stumbled, only to find Galo making his way inside. Once he hopped over the edge, he exhaled loudly. “They told me to tell you not to go in,” he said morosely, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I don’t… I think you should wait outside. I didn’t know it’d be this bad.”

“I have to help.”

“Lio,” Galo grabbed his attention with his tone, “you’ve done more than any one man should need to do. You don’t need to keep seeing this.”

Typically, Lio would have fought tooth and nail to stay, but he was so emotionally and physically exhausted he couldn’t muster up the energy to argue. Plus, he had to concede that Galo was right; there was nothing he could _do_ here. He didn’t have equipment, he wasn’t specialized in this, he didn’t know how to even go about starting. This was a job that, for once, he couldn’t see himself doing successfully.

He wouldn’t admit this, of course, he’d much rather kick his own ass on the way out then say it out loud. He settled with giving the interior a final look, trying to mentally beam “I’m sorry” into every one of them, and exiting the Parnassus with Galo in tow. Once they were outside, something occurred to Lio.

“What now?” He asked, only realizing how vague it sounded once it was out in the air. “I mean, what do we do now? There’s no way they can treat every Burnish in there, and that’s assuming they even receive the care they need. What about the ones with nowhere to go? They have nothing, Galo. They have no homes, they have no money, and we’re just going to throw them back into the world like that?”

Galo blinked a few times, processing what he just heard, before sucking in a nervous breath. “I don’t know,” he said, “I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know what comes next, but… right now, I want to focus on you.”

“Then what about me?” Lio snapped, jabbing the tips of his fingers into his own chest. “What about _me,_ huh? For almost 30 years, I have been the leader of Mad Burnish, and now I’m reduced to nothing. I guarantee my prospects in life are slim to none, there will be no kindness to spare for me or them. I will always be Lio Fotia to these people. Is that what we’re focusing on? Is it? Because right now, the only thing I can ‘focus’ on is the fact that we are not going to survive, Thymos!”

“Lio, Lio, Lio,” Galo shushed, holding his hands out to settle him. He was losing his composure, snapping under the pressure. He couldn’t blame Lio for that, really, but he didn’t know how to help either. “Take a breath, it’s going to be okay. Let’s just go home.”

“ _What home?!_ Are you truly that stupid? I just said-”

“Are _you_ stupid? I have an apartment, Lio! Did you think I’d just leave you to it and wash my hands of you? After all of that? We can figure it out, we’ll work on proposals, I’ll personally shout in the ear of whoever will listen, but I need to know you’re safe first.”

Lio scrunched his brows together, thinking of how to decline the offer before drawing his attention back to the Parnassus. With thousands of his people in there and an unknown number of casualties, now more than ever did they need someone to advocate for them. He’d be of no use on the streets, he figured, and Galo was kind enough to open his home to him… he sighed heavily and nodded. “I won’t be able to pay for anything, but I’ll pull my weight however I can. If I can find any way to get out of your hair, I’ll…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Thank you, Galo.”

Galo’s face lit up, visibly straightening out in excitement and accomplishment. “Okay, good. I’ll see if we can catch a ride from someone. Stay right there- hey, are you cool with cats?”


End file.
